Universal player action



1'. F, CHEER UNIVERSAL PLAYER ACTION Filed Jan. 19, 1924 Nov. 13, 1928.

IN VEN TOR Patented Nov. 13; 1928;

% marl-:1.) s res;

TOLBERT r; CHEEK, on NEW YORK, 7N. Y.,

PATENT omce.

ASSIGNOR TO THE AEOLIAN COMPANY, A

COBIORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

UNIVERSAL PLAYER ACTION.

. Application filed January 19, 1924;. Serial No. 637,251.

, It has heretofore been necessary to con struct player actions in correspondence with the scales of the instruments into which they were to beinsta-lled, due to the different lo cation of the breaks, in different, makes or types of musical instruments, which breaks determine the number of notes in the bass, middle and treble sections. In a case where the breaks in a player action were not in alignment with the breaks in a piano action, for instance, it has either been impossible to properly align the two and hence use the player action, or it has been necessary to practically reconstruct the player action to correspond with the piano action.

The primary object of this invention is to enable the player action to be. constructed as a unit so that it may be installed in any musical instrumentregardless of the breaks in the scale of the instrument.

A further object is to construct a player action without breaks. 1

- A still further object is to efiect alignment of the player actuating units with the musical instrument playing units in a simple, economical, expeditious and adjustable manner, by the method described herein.

- Another object is to provide a novel striking flange which may form part of the movable leaf of a pneumatic, having features of adjustability. I

I Still further objects will hereinafter-apfpear, and to all these ends I have devised the method and apparatus disclosed herein, a

"practical embodiment of which is re resented in the accompanying .drawings, orming part hereof, in which Y Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view through the player action, taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 2; 1 i

Figure 2 is a partial diagrammatic view in elevation, substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1,-l0okingin the direction of the arrows, illustrating in somewhat exaggerated form for purposes of illustration different teat u-es of adjustability and alignment of which the invention is capable;

igure 3 a perspective view of aplayer action pneumatic with my improved striking flange attached;-

Figure 4 is a plan view of the striking flange; and

Figures 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 are top plan views of the striking flange illustrating diflerent modifications which it may undergo ineffecting alignment of the player actuating units and musical instrument action units according to my method; v 7

My improved method consists essentially in so constructing the player action so that there are no breaks, and providing a number of player actuating units or pneumatics in excessof the number of playing units of the piano or other musical instrument, so that wherever a break is encountered in the action of the instrument one or more units of the player action substantially opposite such break or breaks may be left idle. Further my method provides adjustablemeans for effecting proper alignment of the actuating or striking portions of the playerunitswith the corresponding units of the instrument action. a To these ends the universal action includes in a preferred construction, say, ninety-five player actuating units or pneumatics, suitable for use with practically any eighty-eight note musical instrument, and

each pneumaticis provided with adjustable means affording a plurality of points of connection for the striking fingers which engage and operate the units of the musical instrument action. The details ofthe novel method will appear as the specification proceeds.

f In the drawings I have illustrated the essential parts of the player action which are affected by my improvements, other partsjbeing of conventional character and well understood. In this instance the pneumatic stacks or wind chests are arranged 1n superimposed relationship, one termed the top stack and the other the bottom stack. Each stack includes atop board 1 and a bottom board 2, and valves (not shown) for effecting operation of the pneumatics 3. The two rows of pneumatics are arranged in staggered relationship. The valves referredto are operated by atmospheric impulses transmitted from the tracker bar 4 through the usual tubes 5, adapted to be connected to nipples 6 and 60 leading into the bottom boards 2 and thence to suitable valve actuating pouches or other means (not shown). Suit able valve mechanism is illustrated in detail in my co-pending application Serial No 687,250 filed Jan. 19, 1924.

Striking fingers 7 are provided, one corresponding to each pneumatic, and these striking fingers 7 are pivoted to securing blocks, as seen at 8, adapted to be secured to the top board 1 of the top stack. A suitable check rail 9 is located above the top board 1 of the top stack and a regulating rail 10 is in this instance secured to one side of the top stack 1 below the striking fingers by the screws 11.

The striking fingers 7 are preferably provided with suitable means for regulating and cushioning their upward and downward movement. In this instance adjustable spoon checks 12 are mounted at the tops of the striking fingers in position to engage the check rail 9 upon the upward throw, and.

regulating screws 13 extend vertically through the striking fingers in position to come to rest on the regulating rail 10, access to both the spoon checks 12 and regulating screws 13 being afforded from above as well as from the front of the instrument. Suitable striker wires 1 f depend from the outer ends of the striking fingers, and these striker wires 14: are each adapted to be adjustably secured to a novel striking flange 15 secured to the movable leaf 16 of the corresponding pneumatic 3, the end of the striker wire being screw threaded and having nuts 17 one located above and one below the flange, for fixing the effective length of the wire. The striking fingers 7 are adapted to engage and actuate the units of the musical instrument action, in this case the standard wippens 18 of a piano action, pivotally mounted on the abstracts 19.

The striking flanges 15 are in this instance of substantially rectangular shape and relatively flat, but may be constructed in other forms. The flanges are provided with a plurality of holes 21, 22, and 23 at their outer ends, one hole located substantially centrally of the breadth of the hinge and one or more on either side thereof. These holes afford means comprising a plurality of points of connection for the striker wires, so that the striker wires may be set vertical even if the striking fingers are out of alignment with the longitudinal axis of the pneumatics.

In installing the player action in a musical instrument such, for instance, as a piano, the striking fingers are first located in alignment with the scale of the piano action, with a striking finger in position to engage each wippen of the piano action, and are secured in place, regardless of the location of the pneuinatics. Each striker wire is next passed through one of the holes of the striking flange 15 of the pneumatic which is nearest in vertical alignment with the striker, the hole which is substantially in vertical alignment with the striker wire being used. This practice is continued until an instance occurs where the striker wires commence to run off, i. e., the last hole in the striking flange of one pneumatic will have been used and yet no hole in th next pneumatic will be suitable The unsuitable pneumatic is then simply skipped and rendered blank or inoperative by plugging up the nippel as seen at 24c in Fi -ure 1, and one of the holes of the next succeeding pneumatic striking flange is em ployed. The same condition will occur wherever a break in the piano action is encountered, as indicated at in Figure 2, and such condition is treated in a like manner. One or more pneumatics may be skipped wherever necessary until a striking flange hole is encountered which is in substantially the proper alignment. After completion of the alignment and attachment of the striker wires all the blank pneumatics are plugged up as already described and the active pneuinatics are properly tubed up to the tracker bar apertures.

During or after the lining up of the player action as described itwill occasionally be found that a striker wire connected to a pneumatic in the bottom stack may interfore with a striker flange of a pnematic in the top. stack. T o insure freedom of action for the pneumatics my invention compre hends a rapid and efficient method of eliminating any such interference.

here a flange is found to interfere the interfering portion is simply cut away, as seen in Figures 5 to 9, inclusive, and as indicated in the case of the pneumatics in the top stack in Figure 2.

The striking flanges of the pneumatics in the lower row can not ordinarily cause interference and may be left undisturbed. In

the illustrative case shown in Figure 2, the

first pneumatic flange in the top stack is left undisturbed, as it does not interfere with any striker wire; the second is cut away, substantially as seen in Figure 9; the third is cut away in the manner shownv in Figure 7; the fourth is left idle and rendered blank or inoperative because it is near the break '25 audit is deemed desirable to continue the alignment using the first hole of the next flange. In an instance of this kind the end of the flange may be removed, here shown asbeing cut throughthe holes. The flange of the fifthpneumatic is cut away as illustrated in Figure 6; the sixth is cut away as shown in Fi 'ure 8; and the last pneumatic shown is blank and the flange is removed at a point adjacent to the end of the pneumatic leaf 16.

The cutting away of the interfering portions of the striking flanges is accomplished in a simple and rapid manner by the use of a pair of pincers or any suitable cutting implement, and is done by the mechanic'making the installation. The flanges are preferably made of Wood, but any suitable material may be used. The cut need not be a clean one, the purpose being accomplished as long as the offending portion or portions are trimmed off.

The construction is simple and economical and enables the player action to be constructed as a standard complete unit suitable for installation in practically any piano without alteration or change and regardlessof the breaks in the scale or note capacity. The pneumatics providedin excess of the playing notes of the musical instrument compensate: for those rendered idle by being skipped for the reasons stated.

I have found in practice that my universal player action constructed with ninety-five pneumatics is of a size installable in and ade quate to take care of all ordinary conditions encountered in practically any standard eighty-eight note piano; but the player action may be constructed in any desired size, with any desired number of Pneumatics, to it pianos or musical instruments of any note capacity.

, It is to be understood that while the present showing discloses only certain specific modifications of the form of the striking flange, other forms and modifications are included within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claim.

What I claim is: 7

Means for adapting a standard player action to piano actions of various scales comprising the combination with the piano action and the individual hammer actions thereof of a player piano action including upper and lower stacks of pneumatics, a row of blocks individually mountable on top of the stacks at adjustable distances apart corresponding to the distances between the respective hammer actions, striker-fingers pivoted at one end to said blocks with their free ends extending horizontally into operative engage ment with the respective hammer actions, a horizontal rail supported above said row of blocks, adjustable checks carried by the respective fingers to engage said rail to adjustably limit the up-stroke of the fingers, a horizontal rail supported below said fingers, regulating screws depending from said fingers to striker-wires dependingfrom the free ends of the respective fingers, the ends of the movable boards of the aforesaid pneuinatics each I having a plurality of spaced holesafiording a plurality of points for connection with the striker-wires whereby a point of connection may be selected which is substantially in alignment with the related striker-finger.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specificatlon.

TOLBEBT F. CHEEK.

ad justably limit their down-stroke; 

